Twitter Reactions: Babar Azam, Fawad Alam stage a fightback on a rain-curtailed day

Pakistan finished the first day with Babar Azam unbeaten on 77.

By Pratyay Tiwari

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Fawad Alam and Babar Azam
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Fawad Alam and Babar Azam. (Photo Source: Getty Images)

If the first session of the second Test in Rawalpindi was about South Africa’s – or more precisely Keshav Maharaj’s – brilliance, the second session about a crunchy response from Babar Azam and Fawad Alam. Pakistan finished the first day with Babar Azam unbeaten on 77, in his 123-run collaboration with Fawad Alam, who is only 8 shy of another Test half-century.

Contrary to the pace-assisting conditions expected at Rawalpindi, it was Keshav Maharaj who pushed Pakistan into a precarious situation, bagging two of the total three dismissals in the first session after Pakistan elected to bat. There was a slight movement on offer for Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, although the openers managed to negotiate the pacers before Quinton de Kock decided to hand the ball to Maharaj.

Maharaj’s early inroads dents Pakistan

Maharaj would have struck on the opening ball of his spell, had Temba Bavuma managed to grab Imran Butt’s outside edge in the slips, however, the batsman failed to capitalize and perished to Maharaj in the following over, edging him behind to Quinton de Kock. There was not another run added to Pakistan’s tally when Maharaj snared Azahar Ali lbw for a 9-ball duck.

It was not entirely the batsman’s fault in going to play for the turn as a few had spun quite much. Although, to his dismay, the fuller delivery from the spinner kept straight and would have crashed in the middle of the middle and leg. When Aiden Markram grabbed a spectacular one-handed catch at short leg after Abid Ali edged Nortje, Pakistan had lost 3 wickets for 1 run.

With trouble staring them right in their eyes, the situation demanded the batsmen to hang themselves in. And Azam and Alam did just that. Fortunes started to change a tad bit in favor of Pakistan as George Linde had to leave the field due to a finger injury. Given that pacers were not gaining any success, a lost spin option was not the best news for the visitors.

Babar Azam, who had let Maharaj had the better of him in Karachi (he fell lbw to him twice), ended victorious in the battle as he tackled the spinner with a blend of caution and aggression, picking a couple of boundaries off him at the onset. Fawad Alam, from the other end, showed intent as he slapped Nortje for a four and held his end up, alongside the skipper to ensure that Pakistan did not lose another man before Lunch.

Babar Azam, Fawad Alam make South Africa toil

Resuming from 63/3, Babar Azam and Fawad Alam barely put a foot wrong in what was a wicket-less session for the opponents. The duo’s toil of getting the eyes in paid dividends as the track and conditions both eased out and with Linde still not in, South Africa had one thing too many to worry about.

Bringing back pacers into the attack proved of little significance as both the batsmen had dug their tents deep, refusing to budge against anything that both Rabada and Nortje had in them. While Alam stood with conviction from one side, Azam opened his impressive box of shots as he drove and pulled in his trademark style, to notch up his half-century from 81 balls.

By the time Tea arrived, the partnership had swollen to 123, whereas the lead to 145. Having laid the foundation of another big first-innings lead, Pakistan must be disappointed to lose 32 overs of play as there was no play possible in the third session due to rain.

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